Dispenser with stroke restricting overcap



Nov. 9, 1965 DQF. CORSETTE 3,216,624

DISPENSER WITH STROKE RESTRICTING OVERGAP Filed May 25, 1964 I n sea 1 I 35B \s 1 1 l Has ll I; 53! mo 1 Fl J I INVENTOR, 0006445 C 055E776 BY Z/w/m, M fizz/Mm ATTORNEYS United States Patent Califi, assignor to Calif., a corporation of This invention relates to improvements in a protective overcap for a dispensing pump of the type customarily applied to and carried by a portable container.

It has become increasingly prevalent to dispense liquids of various types from small containers by means of hand actuated pumps formed generally of molded plastic materials. Such a pump has generally been of the type which comprises a stationary portion afiixed to and depending'within the container, together with a reciprocable unit which is normally urged outwardly and upwardly by spring pressure, so that it may be actuated by downward finger pressure on its upper end. It has been customary to provide a protective overcap which normally is removably afiixed to the container over the projecting reciprocable unit such as the plunger of the pump, to protect same from damage incident to rough treatment during shipping or handling. Such prior protective caps however have generally completely enclosed the reciprocable portion of the pump in a manner to render same inaccessible for actuation without first removing the protective cap.

Moreover such prior caps have generally been restricted to use with dispensers of the type in which the discharge outlet has been merely in the form of an orifice or spray head, the arrangement of the cap having tended to cover the discharge opening and thereby to further prevent use of the device without removal of the protective overcap.

With these considerations in mind, it is an important object of the invention to provide an improved form of protective overcap which, having been once applied to a dispensing pump and/or container, may thereafter remain permanently in operative position thereon while permitting ready access to and operation of the dispenser pump. Further in accordance with the invention the protective overcap is adapted for application to existing types of pumps and containers without the necessity of modifications therein. Furthermore such an overcap in accordance with the invention is adapted for use with pumps of the type which include laterally or generally horizontally projecting discharge spouts carried by and reciprocable with their respective plungers.

It is a further major object of the invention to provide such an overcap which cooperates with the pump in a manner to restrict the stroke of the pump plunger to a predetermined length, generally less than the maximum length of stroke of which the particular pump plunger is capable, whereby the overcap may function effectively as a metering device for causing the pump to discharge a predetermined volume of liquid on each operative stroke.

Further it is an object of the invention to provide in a modified form, such an overcap which is capable of achieving the foregoing functions and advantages and which in addition is especially adapted for use in combination with a pump in which the plunger and cylinder are provided with a releasable threaded or other rotary interconnection, operative selectively by rotation of the plunger to secure the plunger in an immobilized fully inwardly projected position, generally with sealing means incorporated in the pump structure arranged to provide an eifective shipping seal. To this end the protective overcap is freely rotatable with the plunger and connected to same for rotation therewith by Way of the laterally projecting discharge spout, while at the same time being fixed to the plunger against movement in the direction of the plunger stroke. With this arrangement, the shipping seal may be employed to prevent leakage of contents during shipping of the filled containers, and the protective overcap will function to guard the plunger against damage or breakage whether the plunger is in its depressed or its fully upwardly projected position.

Further objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1- is a vertical sectional view of a dispenser equipped with a protective overcap in accordance with the invention, same being operatively applied to the neck of a conventional container, the container neck and the pump cylinder therein both being illustrated fragmentarily;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing a modification of the invention inv which the pump plunger and the protective cap. arexrotatable together about the plunger axis to permit engagement and disengagement of cooperating threaded portions on the plunger and within the pump cylinder which portions when engaged function to secure the plunger in a properly depressed immobilized condition; and- FIGURE 3 is a view taken in the same plane as FIG- URES 1 and 2 showing a further modification of the invention, the upper portions of the protective cap and plunger being broken away in this view.

To promote an understanding of the invention, refer ence will now be made to the several embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specific language will be used to describe each such embodiment. It will nevertheless be appreciated that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, but that such further modifications and alterations are contemplated as would normally occur to persons skilled in the art here involved.

Referring now in detail to the. accompanying drawings, and first considering the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 1, the numeral 10 in such figure designates the upper end portion of the neck of a conventional bottle or other container with which the invention may be associated. The upper end of the neck defines the mouth or discharge opening for the container and is shown as having a generally conventional closure or closure cap 12 applied thereto. To this end the cap is exemplified as having an internally threaded skirt 13, the'bottle neck being provided with cooperating external threads 14.

The stationary portion of the pump which is here il lustrated as a generallyconventional pumpcylinder 15 defines therewithin a cylindrical pump chamber 16 which reciprocally receives the lower end, including the piston portion (not shown) of the reciprocable pump plunger 17. The structure and manner of operation of the pump will be understood to be conventional, if desired being similar to the structure disclosed in the Cooprider Patent 3,064,310 of November 20, 1962.

As in such patent, the pump cylinder is provided with a breather opening 18 which opens into the pump chamber 16 at a location which will normally be located above the piston portion of the plunger, whereby to prevent the formation of an air lock, and also to permit entry of air downwardly between the pump plunger 17 and the Wall of chamber 16, thence into the container through breather opening 18 to replace the liquid contents of the container as the latter are Withdrawn by action of the pump.

The upper end of the cylinder 15 is in the form of a collar 20 which projects upwardly through a circular opening 21 in the closure or closure cap 13. A radial annular flange 22 which is formed integrally with the pump cylinder, abuts against the lower surface of the closure top around the opening 21. An upper radially outwardly projecting flange 23 is formed about the upper surface of the closure 13 by a suitable swaging action after the collar has been inserted through the barrel. Thus by means of the relatively spaced fianges 22 and 23, the upper end of the cylinder 15 is fixedly secured to and supported against axial displacement by the cap or closure 13 and seals the opening 21 through said closure 13. The flange 22 may function as a sealing gasket, to this end being interposed between the lower face of the closure top and the upper end of the container neck 10, with annular concentric sealing ribs 24 and 25 respectively engaging the annular upper end of the neck 10.

It will be understood that the pump cylinder, as well as the plunger and the protective overcap hereinafter described, all are preferably formed of a conventional moldable plastic, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, vinyl chloride or the like of a sufficiently resilient nature that the flange 22 and its sealing ribs 24 and 25 may provide an effective seal.

The plunger 17 is hollow in accordance with usual practice to communicate with the interior of the cylinder 15 and to provide a passageway through which liquids drawn into the pump cylinder 15 may be delivered upwardly and discharged through a laterally directed discharge spout 26 carried by the plunger. The delivery of fluid through the discharge spout"-26fg,will be produced incident to reciprocation of the 'pl unger. The plunger will normally be projected upwardly by a pump spring (not shown) within the cylinder 15, following each depression or downward stroke thereof such as may be produced by finger pressure applied on the finger piece 27, which is preferably employed to define the axially upwardly presented end of the plunger 17. Normally the pump employed in connection with the present invention will be so arranged that its plunger unless restricted in its upward projection movement, asherein shown, will be raised by the spring action to a-pos ition somewhat higher than the full line position in which it is shown in FIGURE 1.

The protective overcap of the invention which in the form illustrated in FIGURE 1 is generally designated by the numeral 30, is of generally tubular configuration and in substantial coaxial relation with the plunger 17. The overcap 30 will be seen to be fixedly secured to the container, in the present instance by way of the container closure 12 in such a manner that it laterally encircles and thus protects the plunger. At the same time,

the overcap 30 is formed with a vertical slot31 through its sidewall, preferably of just sufiicient width to receive the, discharge spout 26 and of a length to permit reciprocation of the plunger 17 and spout 26 throughout the desired range and length of stroke.

Further it will be seen that the overcap 30 is formed with a finger access opening 32, the axial component or extent of which is suflicient to permit free access of the users finger to the upper end 27 of the plunger and a suflicient range of vertical movement of the finger while so engaged as to urge the plunger for the full length of its permissible stroke. Preferably this access opening 32 will be directed generally laterally away from the spout 26 in order that the spout may be directed away from the user during the dispensing operation.

The overcap includes a portion 33 which projects appreciably above the upper end 27 of the plunger in the fully raised or upwardly projected position of the latter, this raised portion 33 preferably being circumferentially located to overlie the spout 26, thus to function as a guard portion for providing a substantial degree of protection for both the plunger and the spout 26 against objects which might be placed over and normally might tend to rest on either.

In order to carry out its stroke restricting function with respect to the plunger 17, the overcap 30 in the present embodiment is provided with stop means comprising a generally horizontal ledge 34 defined at the lower end of the guard portion 33, with the said ledge projecting radially inwardly toward the axis of the plunger and above the finger piece 27 at a preselected level normally below that to which the plunger end 27 is capable of being raised by the action of its pump spring. The ledge 34 thus overlies the finger piece 27 in the path of its upward movement in such manner as to interrupt such upward movement at a predetermined point and thereby to govern the length of stroke of the plunger from a predetermined lowered position which may be determined either by engagement of the discharge spout 26 with the lower end of slot 31 or by interengagement of conventional stop means on the plunger 17 and cylinder 15, respectively, in accordance with usual practice.

Thus the arrangement will be such that, after the initial priming of the pump, each time the plunger is fully depressed by finger pressure to the position indicated in broken lines in FIGURE 1, and then permitted to return by spring pressure to its original fully projected position as shown in full lines, a definitely metered and uniform amount of liquid will be discharged from the container through the spout 26.

The means for securing the overcap 30 of the invention in proper position on the container is preferably such as not to require modification of either the container or the pump structure. One practical and effective form of at= tachment is as shown in FIGURE 1, in which the ove'r'= cap 30 is provided with a depending annular or cylindrical skirt 35 terminating at its upper end in an inwardly extending axially presented shoulder 36 which abuts against the upper surface of the container closure 13 to provide a positive support for the overcap thereon. The lower end of the skirt 35 extends below the lower edge of closure 13 and is provided with an annular rib 37 which is of rounded cross section in such a manner that as the overcap 30 is applied downwardly over the container closure 13, the snap rib 37 and adjoining portions of the skirt expand and are cammed outwardly to pass downwardly around the closure 13 and beyond the lower edge thereof, to thereafter snap into position beneath said edge as shown in FIGURE 1 to firmly resist withdrawal.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URE 2, the construction of the pump is identical with that shown in FIGURE 1, with the exception that the up er end of the pump cylinder 15A is somewhat enlarged and internally threaded as at 35 for cooperating threaded engagement with an externally threaded portion 36 of the plunger. These threaded portions 35 and 36 are positioned for operative engagement with each other to maintain the plunger in its fully depressed position, providing a releasable interconnection for this purpose so as to im-- mobilize the plunger and also preferably to bring a sealing flange 37 on the plunger into operative sealing engagement with the cooperating annular end surface 38 at the upper end of the pump cylinder. Obviously these threaded portions 35 and 36 may be engaged by depressing and rotating the plunger 17A and may be selectively disengaged by relatively reversed rotation of the plunger. This arrangement per se is fully illustrated in the Cooprider Patent 3,064,310 and constitutes no part of the present invention. The castellations 19 on the plunger are for cooperation with a similarly castellated tool, which retains the cylinder against rotation as the plunger is rotated to engage threaded portions 35 and 36.

However, in order to permit such mode of operation, the interconnection between the protective overcap 30A and the container has been modified to positively prevent axial displacement of the overcap with respect to the container while rendering the overcap freely rotatable with the plunger 17A. Thus, by way of example, the depend-- ing skirt 35A of the overcap encircles the container closure 13 with a sufiicient degree of clearance as to be rotatably journaled thereon, with the annular internal shoulder 36A within the overcap rotatably abutting against the upper end or top of the closure 13. In this instance the snap n'b 37A at the lower end of the skirt 35A, instead of coacting with the lower end edge of the closure 13, is snapped over and below the usual transfer bead 39 on the container neck 10., In this instance also the upward limit of the plunger stroke is controlled entirely by engagement of the spout 26A with the upper end of slot 31A, while the lower limit thereof is preferably determined by abutting engagement of the threads 35 and 36.

Further in this embodiment the upper end of the guard portion 33A of the overcap assumes the form of a segment of a dome which substantially overlies the upper end of the plunger, while being spaced sufficiently about said plunger in its uppermost position as to provide ample clearance for the operators finger.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URE 3, the construction of the pump components and 17 and of the container 10 and its closure cap 13 are identical with those illustrated in FIGURE 1, and for this reason the respective parts of these elements are designated by reference characters similar to those employed in FIGURE 1. Also, it is to be understood that the broken away upper end portion and other parts of the overcap B will be similar in all respects to corrsponding portions of the overcap 30 in FIGURE 1, except for the fact that the attaching sleeve or skirt 35B, by which the overcap is affixed to the container closure 13, is modified in this embodiment to omit the snap bead or ring 37 such as is employed in FIGURE 1. In place thereof the skirt 35B is firmly press fitted onto the outer cylindrical periphery of the closure cap 13 with its downwardly directed annular stop shoulder 368 in abutting engagement with the closure cap 13.

It will be readily apparent that in each of the illustrated embodiments of the invention, the overcap may be assembled with the pump and closure cap 13 either before or after application of the pump and closure cap to the container. However in the embodiment of FIGURE 2, if these parts are assembled prior to application to the container, it will be necessary in applying these parts to the container to press the overcap axially downwardly to bring its snap beading or ring 37A downwardly past the transfer beading 39' of the container into operative position on the underside thereof.

In each instance, the interior of the overcap, and the preferably cylindrical bore therethrough which receives the plunger, will be such as to permit assembly of the parts by initially tilting the overcap to insert it in a generally lengthwise or axial direction over the laterally directed discharge spout 26 until the free end of the latter is received in the lower end of the slot 31, then tilting the overcap in the axial plane of the plunger 17 and discharge spout 26 to receive the plunger end or finger piece 27, while progressively moving it downwardly over the plunger to the operative position such as shown in each of the figures. It will be readily seen that the overcap thus is useable with a conventional dispensing pump and container structure without the necessity for any modifications of such structure, and that when applied it is capable of performing the manifold functions of protecting or shielding the pump plunger from both lateral and vertical forces. At the same time it will function to greatly decrease the chances of inadvertent reciprocation of the plunger and accidental discharge of the container contents during shipment or handling.

Also the stroke restricting function of the overcap will render the latter particularly useful in regulating the stroke of a given pump to best adapt it for discharge of a definitely predetermined amount of liquid on each operative pump stroke. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 2, all of these advantages are at- 6 tained, without interfering with the use of the plunger hold down or immobilizing feature, incorporated in the threaded portions 35 and 36, whereby to provide an efiicient shipping seal. Moreover in this embodiment, the lower end of the slot 31A will normally be positioned to abut against the discharge spout 26A when the plunger is secured in its fully depressed condition by interengagement of the threaded portions 35 and 36, thus to support the spout against vertically downwardly imposed forces while at the same time the latter, being snugly slidably received between the opposed parallel side edges of the slot 31A, is also reinforced by them against laterally directed forces.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A stroke restricting overcap for a container mounted dispensing pump of the class in which a major portion of the pump is housed within the container with the reciprocable plunger thereof spring projected upwardly from the container through the discharge opening thereof for reciprocation by finger pressure on its upper end, said pump including a laterally directed discharge spout afiixed to said plunger above the container, said overcap being of generally tubular formation encircling the upwardly projecting portion of the plunger and formed with a slot extending in the direction of reciprocation of the plunger, through which slot said spout is disposed for reciproca tion, means securing said overcap against lateral and axial movement on the container, said overcap being formed with a finger access opening generally directed laterally away from said slot and having an axial component sufiiciently in excess of the length of the plunger stroke to permit ready access by the users finger to the upper end of said plunger to permit movement of said plunger throughout the entire length of its operative stroke by finger pressure on its upper end, said overcap including a guard portion projecting axially to a location above said upper end of the plunger when the latter is fully upwardly projected.

2. A stroke restricting overcap as defined in claim 1, in which said guard portion of the overcap laterally overlies said plunger in alignment with the reciprocating movement of the plunger.

3. A stroke restricting overcap as defined in claim 1, including stop means carried by said overcap for abutting engagement with said plunger to restrict the upward stroke thereof to a smaller range than that of which said plunger is normally capable.

4. A stroke restricting overcap as defined in claim 3, in which said stop means comprises a generally downwardly directed ledge of said guard portion.

5. A stroke restricting overcap as defined in claim 3, in which said stop means is defined by an end of said slot positioned for axial abutment by said spout.

6. A stroke restricting overcap for a container mounted dispensing pump of the class in which a stationary portion of the pump is supported by the container closure cap for reception within the container and the manually reciprocable pump plunger is spring projected upwardly through and above said closure cap for operation by finger pressure on its upper end, said plunger including a laterally directed discharge spout above the closure cap, said overcap being of generally tubular conformation encircling the said plunger and formed with a slot extend ing in the direction of movement of the plunger for reception and accommodation of said spout throughout the range of such plunger movement, means for securing said overcap against both lateral and axial displacement with respect to said container, said means comprising a skirt of the overcap depending therefrom and snugly encircling said closure cap, said skirt being of slightly resilient material and formed with an inwardly directed beading for snap fitting beneath the lower extremity of said closure cap, said overcap being formed with a finger access opening on the opposite side thereof from said slot to permit reciprocation of said plunger by intermittent downward 7 finger pressure on its upper end, and stop means carried by said overcap for abutting engagement with said plunger to restrict the upward stroke thereof to a smaller range than that of which said plunger is normally capable.

7. The combination defined in claim 6, in which said overcap projects above the upper end of said plunger, said stop means comprising a portion of the overcap which overhangs said plunger in alignment with the path of upward projection thereof for abutting engagement with said plunger.

8. The combination defined in claim 6, in which said stop means is defined by an end of said slot positioned for axial abutment with said spout.

9. The combination as defined in claim 6, in which said means for securing the overcap on the container includes a snap beading formed at the lower end of said skirt for snap fitting over a transfer beading around said container.

10. The combination defined in claim 6, in which the stationary portion of said pump supported by said container closure cap is formed with an internally threaded upwardly opening recess around said plunger, and said plunger includes an externally threaded portion positioned for operative reception in said internally threaded recess to maintain the plunger immobilized in its fully depressed condition, said overcap being rotatably journaled on said closure cap, said spout interconnecting said overcap and said plunger for rotation together, whereby rotation of the overcap may be relied upon for rotating said plunger to release said threaded connection.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,136,263 11/38 Holmes 222321 3,157,321 11/64 ODonnell 222182 X LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. 

1. A STROKE RESTRICTING OVERCAP FOR A CONTAINER MOUNTED DISPENSING PUMP OF THE CLASS IN WHICH A MAJOR PORTION OF THE PUMP IS HOUSED WITHIN THE CONTAINER WITH THE RECIPROCABLE PLUNGER THEREOF SPRING PROJECTED UPWARDLY FROM THE CONTAINER THROUGH THE DISCHARGE OPENING THEREOF FOR RECIPROCATION BY FINGER PRESSURE ON ITS UPPER END, SAID PUMP INCLUDING A LATERALLY DIRECTED DISCHARGE SPOUT AFFIXED TO SAID PLUNGER ABOVE THE CONTAINER, SAID OVERCAP BEING OF GENERALLY TUBULAR FORMATION ENCIRCLING THE UPWARDLY PROJECTING PORTION OF THE PLUNGER AND FORMED WITH A SLOT THROUGH WHICH SLOT SAID SPOUT IS DISPOSED FOR RECIPROCATION, MEANS SECURING SAID OVERCAP AGAINST LATERAL AND AXIAL MOVEMENT ON THE CONTAINER, SAID OVERCAP BEING FORMED WITH A FINGER ACCESS OPENING GENERALLY DIRECTED FORMED WITH A FINGER ACCESS OPENING GENERALLY DIRECTED LATERALLY AWAY FROM SAID SLOT AND HAVING AN AXIAL COMPONENT SUFFICIENTLY IN EXCESS OF THE LENGTH OF THE PLUNGER STROKE TO PERMIT READY ACCESS BY THE USER''S FINGER TO THE 